Reverence to Stone

Between excellent records from Pallbearer and Aldebaran, Sunn O)))'s rise from slumber and Confessor's marquee slot at Maryland Death Fest, it's been a booming year for the lethargic motions of doom metal. Add Reverence to Stone to the cycle's list of slow high marks: Out July 31, the second full-length from Seattle quartet Samothrace for 20 Buck Spin comprises only two tracks, but they're diverse and dynamic enough to prove that the breadth of doom is wider than a stylistic rut. "When We Emerged" launches and ends with a sinister, deliberate lurch, but Samothrace sprints (relatively, mind you) at its middle, their inseparable volume and force finding peak vigor with a quicker clip.

But really, it's the flip, "A Horse of Our Own", that does the most exploring. Though Samothrace still churn, they careen into several psychedelic subsections throughout these 20 minutes, twisting through red-eyed, blues-metal bolts, and near-gossamer expanses of comparative quiet. If you're looking for the standard march to hell, Reverence to Stone isn’t your record. If you’re looking for the slow stare of adventure, here it is. (You can also catch them on tour in the U.S. with Pallbearer and Royal Thunder.)